Mining machine



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J. Q. SPROUL MINING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1946 B IHHH WWW! IIHH v Inventor JOHN Cowuu. SPROUL it, A llorney Patented June 20, 1950 2,512,392 MINING MACHINE John Connel Sproul, Glasgow, Scotland, assignor to Mavor & Coulson Limited, Glasgow S. E.,

Scotland Application October 26, 1946, Serial No. 705,831

In Great Britain June 13, 1944 Section 1, Public Lawcso, August 8, 1946 Patent expires June-13, 1964 6 Claims. (01. 262-8) Mining machines have been proposed which have a cutter head adapted to sever coal from a coal seam by a direct cutting or shearing action resembling the action of a chisel, or alternatively adapted to follow a cutter-chain or cutter-disc, which makes a preliminary incision in the coal seam, and to exert a splitting action in the incision. The direct cutting action or the splitting action, as the case may be, is effected by the forward thrust of the cutter head, which has a wedge-like form.

The height of the roof of a mine may vary somewhat and it is desirable that such a machine should leave a cleanly out roof of the required height.

An object of this invention is to provide such a cutter head with an upwardly and forwardly inclined roof cutter having a transverse cutting edge and being movable up and down relative to the head and a stop serving to limit the upward movement of the roof cutter, which is spring-urged yieldingly upwards against said stop. As the machine is advanced, the roof-cutter takes up its position against the stop and operates at that position; and when the machine is withdrawn, the cutter yields downwards and facilitates withdrawal.

Another object is to provide a stop which is adjustable so that the inclination of the roof cutter can be regulated in accordance with the roof height. As it is desirable that the corner between the roof and the new face should be a clean-cut right angle, another object is to provide a roof-cutter having a downturned cutting part at its side next the coal face forming a right angle with the main transverse cutting edge.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a mining a machine of the kind to which the invention is applicable.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the cutter head of such a mining machine looking towards the coal face, the head having a roof cutter. Figure 3 is a corresponding plan. Figure 4 is an elevation of an upper portion of the head looking in the direction of the arrow IV, Figure 2, the view being drawn to a larger scale.

The machine shown in Figure 1 comprises a hydraulic jack A, a cutter head B and a hydraulic ram C. A shearing cutter D of chain type is indicated in dotted outline, such a cutter being well known in itself. The jack A is adapted to jam between the roof and the floor of the mine. The

ram C has a piston rod I which is pivotally connected to the jack A at 2, while the cylinder 3 of the ram is fixed to the head B. Admission of hydraulic pressure fluid to the front of the ram pistondrives the head B forward, so that the shearjack is drawn'forward ready for another working 7 stroke.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the head B is of wedge shape, as viewed in plan, and includes a central prong 4 and a shovel or scoop which scoops up and loads out the broken coal laterally.

For cutting the roof, a roof cutter E is mounted on the head B. This roof cutter is of substantially rectangular plate form, as best seen in Figure 2. It is hinged to the head B about the horizontal transverse axis of a pivot pin 6 and extends forwardly and upwardly therefrom, being reduced to a horizontal cutting edge at its forward side, where picks or teeth I are fitted.

The cutter E on its under side has a deflecting rib 8 extending obliquely across it with a view to laterally deflecting the broken coal. The roofcutter E is urged upwards, i. e. in a counter-clockwise direction, Figure 1, by means of a spring 9, but its upward movement is limited by a stop arrangement. This arrangement comprises a double wedge member It with a screw H for moving it transversely, and two parts l2 presenting inclined abutment surfaces on the rear side of the cutter E, against which surfaces the wedge member l 0 bears. By adjusting the transverse setting of the member I l) the upper limit position of the cutter B can be varied.

In order to obtain a clean right angle corner where the new coal face meets the mine roof, a corner cutting device F is attached to the inner edge of the roof cutter E. This corner cutting device F is of right angle section as viewed from the front, see Figure 4, and tapers away to the rear as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The device F thus presents cutting edges l 3, I l one of which is a continuation of the horizontal edge I5 of the roof cutter E and the other of which occupies approximately the same vertical plane as the cutting edges l6 presented by the head B. As the head is driven forward there is a tendency on the part of the roof cutter E to be swung upwards and held to its work. If the machine is withdrawn the,

roof cutter yields downwards and facilitates withdrawal.

The standing coal is indicated at H.

In the example, the: machine is represented as having a chain-type cutter D, and the incision made by this cutter is shown at J in Fig. 3. In such a machine, the head B is designed to enter the incision J and split off the standing coal. H.

The cutter D, or the equivalent, may beomitted; in that event the head -B=is thrust directly.-

into the coal, being designed to cut .in the manner of a chisel. I claim:

1. A mining-machine head having an upwardly and forwardly inclined roof-cutter with a transverse cutting edge, said roof-cutter beingcon-vv nected to said head and being movable umandi.

down relatively thereto, stop means on said head and cutter co-operatingto limit positively the upward movement of saidcutter, and resilient means urging said cutter. to occupy the limit position definedby said stop means but yielding under excessive downward pressure due to roof action or reaction on said cutter.

2. A mining-machine head having an upwardly and forwardly inclined roof-cutter witha trans-.. verse cutting edge, said roof-cutter being connected to saidhead'and'being movable up and. down relatively thereto, stop means consisting'of interengageable parts on said headand cutter respectively, said parts co-operating to limit the upward movement of said cutter, resilient means yieldably urging said cutter to occupy the limit. position definedfby said'stop means, and screwadjustment means for regulating the setting of one of said stop-means parts to vary said. limit position.

3. A mining-machine head component'and an upwardly and forwardly inclined roof-cutter an upwardly and forwardly inclined roof-cutter with a transverse approximately horizontal cutting edge, said roof-cutter being pivotally connected to said/head and being. movable up and down relatively thereto, stopmeans on said head and cutter co-operating to limit positively the upward pivotal movement of said cutter, and spring means urging said cutter to occupy the limit position defined by said stop means but yielding: under .excessive downward pressure due torooiiactionxor reaction on said cutter.

5. A mining-machine wedge-like head presenting at least one cutting edge in an approximately vertical plane and having an upwardly and forwardly inclined roof-cutter with a transverse approximately horizontal cutting edge, a downturned .parton said roof-cutter presenting a cutting edgein said vertical plane, said roof-cutter being connected to said head and being movable up and down relatively thereto, stop means on said-headandcutter co-operating to limit positively the upward movement of said cutter, and resili'entmeans urging said cutterto occupy limit position defined by said stop means but yielding under excessive downward pressure-due to roof action or reaction on said cutter.

61 A mining-machinewedge like head component and an upwardly and forwardly inclined roof-cutter component with a transverse approximately horizontal cutting edge, said roof-cutter component being pivotally connected to said head component and being movable-up and down relatively thereto, stop means consisting of an inclined abutment onone ofsaid components and a transverse Wedge on the other of said components bearing against-said abutment, said wedge and abutment co-operating to limit the upward movement of said root-cutter component, spring means yieldably urging saidcutter upwards to occupy the limit position defined by said stop means, and screw-adjustment means forregulating the setting ofsaid wedge to vary said limit position;

JOHN CONNEL SPROUL.

REFERENCE-S CITED UNITED STATES: PATENTS Name Date Morgan Aug. 2, 1927 Number 

